Computer Build Generator, automatic component lists within your budget

[SiFTW]

I created a little web app that I thought some people might find useful.
Computer Build Generator

You simply enter your budget and what you mainly want to use your new system for and it will create a compatible list of components recommended by reviews (mainly from Toms Hardware).

Hopefully it's useful at least as a start point for those looking to build their own PC but unsure where to start. Let me know if you have any feedback on the site or the builds it creates. (In the interest of full disclosure the links to the components on Amazon include a referral ID to hopefully cover hosting costs.)

Thanks

 

[ianko66]

I just used it, and works pretty nice. Really clean page design too. I really like it!

 

[SiFTW]

Thanks

I've just pushed improvements to the algorithm following recent feedback.

 

[butremor]

DUDE AWSOME
Great project!
What about builds below 400 pounds?
Only intel builds ?? D:

 

[Apropo]

I like it just funny how it recommends an i7 for "Gaming" suggested builds for any budget over $980... I thought it was pretty common knowledge that i7 does not provide any noticable difference in gaming over same gen i5. Wouldn't that mean that suggesting the i7 would actually be wasting money for no noticable gain in performance? Same with 16GB of ram. Most games are 32bit meaning they wont use more then max of 4GB of ram making 8GB overkill and dare I say "future proof" where 16GB of ram is just a waste of money for a "Gaming" Build. Aside from it giving bad suggestions the idea is awesome and if tweaked will be amazingly helpful.

 

[SiFTW]

Thank you
The builds are only intel at the moment simply because the reviews (here and other places) find very few price points where AMD is better value for money.

Builds below 400 are ignored for now but I'm looking at expanding to APU based builds to be able to decrease the low-end budget.

The i7 is recommended for very high end builds which may be a little unnecessary I'll take a look at improving this. The i5 is recommended for a wide range of price points where the budget is more tight however.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Apropo]

Thank you

The i7 is recommended for very high end builds which may be a little unnecessary I'll take a look at improving this. The i5 is recommended for a wide range of price points where the budget is more tight however.

I don't think anyone considers the i5 a budget choice especially since the difference between the i7 and i5 is only hyperthreading which is not utilized in gaming. High end or not the i7 as a suggestion does not provide any gained performance benefit for "Gaming" Builds. Which means you are spending extra money for no benefit which is kind of naive and pointless. Even at a $2k+ range it wouldn't be something people would rationally or logically suggest just look at the builds that have been posted for the "intel High end Gaming" section. Nobody is suggesting i7's for gaming builds.

 

[emperor piehead]

after $950 it says 16gb ram but after 8gb it doesn't make much of a difference

 

[Apropo]

it wouldn't let me edit:

just look here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/370753-31-bestconfigs-high-intel-gaming

Only 2 people out of 16 are suggesting the i7 for high end gaming builds. IMO that is 2 too many because of the lack of benefit the i7 brings for the extra money.

Same with 16 GB of RAM, just waste of money that does not provide any performance benefit what so ever in its category suggested build "Gaming"

 

[SiFTW]

I agree regarding the i7, it will be improved. I am adding after market coolers shortly which will represent a better investment than that CPU.

16 GB of RAM is usually unnecessary but some of the kits are so cheap they throw the algorithm off a little. I am attempting to add more good quality/speed/timing 8gb kits.

 

[bryonhowley]

Looks good but I wish you could choose between intel and AMD based builds. I build mostly AMD/ATI rigs so that would be a nice option.

 

[SiFTW]

As I said above the intel recommendations are currently best for 99% of people with common uses for their PCs. I am working on an advanced view which will give you more options for the individual components.

Edit:typo

 

[SiFTW]

The i7 recommendations for gaming builds have now been fixed. The system should also chose much better motherboards and storage options now.

 

[Apropo]

I'd like to point out that games are 32bit which means they wont use more then max 4GB of RAM excluding mods for Skyrim which can cause instability. That being said any suggestion for RAM over 8GB is wasted on a Gaming System. You have to intentionally force the system to uneedingly over use ram to utilize more then 8GB.

 

[SiFTW]

I agree that 4gbs is enough for most and 8gbs is really the maximum for gaming. The only time the system recommends 16gb kits is when there is spare budget which can't be used to upgrade the CPU/GPU/Mobo and the the spare budget can not afford the next upgrade for RAM speed/timings.

Basically the algorithm is greedy with the budget and will attempt to spend any spare which leads to the 16gb kits being recommended occasionally but this should't be at the cost of other, more appropriate upgrades.

 

[SiFTW]

New version of the Computer Build Generator is up. Thanks for the feedback so far.

New features include:
Remove items you don't need (if you've already bought a case for example).
Improved build recommendatsion.
Prices and savings now regularly and automatically updated from Amazon.

Constructive feedback welcome, let me know what you think